Vent screen assembly

ABSTRACT

A VENT FRAME PROVIDED WITH A VENT COVER HAS A VENT SCREEN ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES A SCREEN ADAPTED CONVENIENTLY MOUNTED TO THE VENT FRAME BY CLAMPING OF A PAIR OF ADAPTER RETAINING TABS BETWEEN THE VENT FRAME AND A STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF THE FRAME. THE ADAPTER IS FORMED WITH A NUMBER OF GARNISH STRIP RETAINING SLOTS THAT FACILITATE ACCURATE AND CLOSE POSITIONING OF THE GARNISH STRIP WITH RESPECT TO THE VENT SCREEN ASSEMBLY. ALSO FORMED ON THE SCREEN ADAPTER ARE A PAIR OF INWARDLY EXTENDING LIPS THAT COOPERATE WITH A PAIR OF LATCH MEMBERS FORMED ON THE INNER SIDE OF A RESILIENT SCREEN FRAME. THE SCREEN FRAME IS PROVIDED WITH UPSTANDING FLANGES THAT CLOSELY AND SNUGLY FIT WITHIN DEPENDING WALL PORTIONS OF THE ADAPTER, WHEREBY THE SCREEN AND SCREEN FRAME PRECISELY FIT WITHIN THE ADAPTER AND THE SCREEN FRAME IS READILY ATTACHED TO AND REMOVED THEREFROM.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Jerry Rapport Long Beach, Calif.

[21] Appl. No. 866,498

[22] Filed Oct. 15, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [54] VENT SCREEN ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-Frederick L. Matteson Assistant ExaminerW. C Anderson Atzarney-Gausewitz, Carr & Rothenberg ABSTRACT: A vent frame provided with a vent cover has a vent screen assembly that includes a screen adapter conveniently mounted to the vent frame 'by clamping of a pair of adapter retaining tabs between the vent frame and a structural member of the frame. The adapter is formed with a number of garnish strip retaining slots that facilitate accurate and close positioning of the garnish strip with respect to the vent screen assembly. Also formed on the screen adapter are a pair of inwardly extending lips that cooperate with a pair of latch members formed on the inner side of a resilient screen frame. The screen frame is provided with upstanding flanges that closely and snugly fit within depending wall portions of the adapter, whereby the screen and screen frame precisely fit within the adapter and the screen frame is readily attached to and removed therefrom.

PATENTEB JUN28 1971 SREET 1 OF 2 M fl INVENTOR, A668) m poz 7 PATENTED JUH28 I97! snm 2 OF 2 INVENTOR 147 TOF/VE/Sf VENT SCREEN ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ventilation equipment that is most suitable for lightweight and portable devices and more particularly concerns screened vents for mobile homes, trailers, campers or the like. Although the described embodiment of the invention is specifically adapted for use with mobile shelters, it will be readily appreciated that principles of the invention are applicable to many situations and structures wherein screened ventilating apertures are employed or desirable.

2. Prior Art Ventilation arrangements for mobile shelters employ a vent frame and cover mounted in an aperture cut into the roof or wall of the vehicle or shelter. Mass production of such equipment requires relatively large tolerances in the dimensions of the aperture and the. ventilation devices, whereby garnish stripping or finishing material that extends around the periphery of the aperture is required. Nevertheless, the garnish stripping has in the past resulted in unsightly spaces between the vent frame and the garnish and, further, is difficult and time consuming to install for maximum aesthetics. Screens for such venting devices have been more or less permanently mounted directly to the vent frame or, in some cases, to the structure to which the vent frame is mounted. Such screen arrangementsare difficult and costly to manufacture and, further, often require considerable effort of the use of often unavailable tools for removal or replacement as may be required for cleaning and repair of the screen and of the vent cover itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a screen assembly including a screen adapter and a screen frame that are lightweight, inexpensive and simple to manufacture and install, and which at the same time greatly facilitate the attachment and positioning of garnish stripping and the attachment and removal of the screen itself. In carrying out the principles of the invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment, a screen adapter formed with a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely disposed retaining tabs is readily secured to a substantially conventional vent frame either during or after the manufacture and assembly thereof, and is provided with a pair of inwardly extending lips that cooperate with a pair of mating upstanding screen latch members formed on a resilient screen frame. Either the latch members or the screen frame, or both, are formed of suitably resilient material to allow a necessary minimum amount of displacement of the latch members to facilitate ready engagement and disengagement of the latch members and the screen adapter lips. The adapter is also provided with integrally formed downwardly opening slots on the outer periphery thereof that conveniently receive and accurately position, in close juxtaposition to the screen assembly, a set of garnish strips which collectively extend about the entire periphery of the opening in the roof or wall of the vehicle or shelter in which the vent and screen assembly are mounted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view, in section, of a vent frame and cover having a screen assembly of this invention mounted thereto;

FIG. 2 is an exploded pictorial view of a screen and screen adapter;

FIG. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the interconnection between the screen, the screen adapter and the garnish stripping; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of portions of the structure of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIG. I, a mobile vehicle, shelter or the like has a structural wall member or roof in which is cut an LII opening adapted to receive a vent assembly 12. Although the size and shape of the aperture and mating vent assembly can be varied according to particular requirements or designs, it is most common to make devices of this type of rectangular or, more particularly, of a square configuration, and such an arrangement is illustrated in these drawings. The vent frame assembly includes a square vent frame having a peripheral wall 14 and a peripheral securing and sealing flange 16, by means of which the vent assembly is secured to the structural wall member 10. Most conveniently, a number of conventional fastening means, such as screws, nails, rivets, or the like, (not shown) extending through the securing flange 16, are used to fixedly attach the vent assembly to the structural member.

Pivotally mounted to the vent frame by a conventional hinge I8 is a vent cover or dome 20 formed of aluminum or of transparent or translucent material. Such transparent or translucent material is preferably a substantially rigid plastic such as "Butyrate" or polyethylene, and may have a thickness of about 0.075 inches. Obviously, selection ofdome material and thickness, transparency, translucency, or opacity is but a matter of choice or design.

The dome 20 is sealed in the illustrated closed position by a continuous resilient sealing strip 22 that is mounted on an inwardly extending peripheral flange 24 of the vent frame. The dome is movable to an open position, not illustrated, by means ofhand crank-operated worm-and-gear assembly 26 including a hand crank 28, all mounted in a housing 30 that is fixedly secured to and carried by a vent frame structural member or operator support bar 32. The structural member 32 spans the vent frame and is secured at its ends to the frame by screws 34, which extend through the vent frame into suitable threaded apertures in the ends of structural member. An operator track 36 spanning and rigidly secured or bonded at its respective ends to the vent dome includes a track that receives and guides a roller 38 fixed to the end of an operator bar 40 that is rigidly secured to or integrally formed with the gear of the operator worm and gear assembly 26.

It will be readily appreciated that the specific arrangement of vent assembly, vent frame, dome cover, and operating arrangement therefor that enables the cover to be movably mounted to or, in some instances, detachably connected to the frame may be any of a variety of well-known structural arrangements and configurations.

A screen adapter 42 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises a square frame mating and snugly fitting within the vent frame 14. The adapter has a pair of peripheral wall portions 44 and 46, of which the latter is displaced outwardly peripherally of the former to provide a peripheral shoulder 48 for purposes to be described hereinafter. The adapter is also formed with an integral, outwardly extending ledge 50 that circumscribes the entire periphery of the adapter framev Secured to and extending from the outer edge of the ledge 50 at two positions on each of the four sides of the adapter are garnish retaining tabs 52 that cooperate with the second wall portion 46 of the adapter to provide garnish retaining slots 54. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, garnish stripping 56 has an upstanding wall portion 58 that extends closely within and is firmly positioned by the slots 54. Gam'ish strips 56 also include additional angulated portions 57 that extend over and bridge the remaining space between the vent assembly and the structural element 20 to provide an improved appearance of the assembly. The garnish stripping 56 is provided with a selected interior finish l0 decorative purposes.

The adapter 42 is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposed integral upstanding retaining tabs 60, 62 having upwardly opening slots shown at 64, 66 for tab 60. The retaining tabs, as can be seen most clearly in FIG. 3, are received between the adjoining end of the operator support bar 32 and the inner side of the vent frame 14, with the slots 64, 66 receiving the shank portions of fasteners 34, whereby when the latter are tightened the retaining tabs 60, 62 are firmly clamped to the vent frame. Accordingly, the adapter may be readily and securely fastened to the vent frame either during manufacture or thereafter when the fastening devices 34 are loosely connected to the operator support bar 32, by simply inserting the retaining tabs into the space between the ends of the bar and the vent frame and thereafter tightening the fastening means.

Also formed on the adapter frame are a pair of inwardly extending lips 68, 70, the lower portions of which extend in alignment with the surface of the ledge or shoulder 48. The lips 68, 70 are strengthened by integrally formed side plates or gussets, such as illustrated at 72 in FIG. 3.

A square screen 74 is formed to fit snugly within and flush with the wall portions 46 of the adapter 42. Screen 74 has a main peripheral frame element 76 to which suitable screening 78 is secured by suitable means, such as for example the bonding of the screening edges into a plurality of peripheral ribs or ridges 77 (FIG. 3) extending along the inner periphery of frame member 76. When heated and subjected to pressure, the ridges deform, flow around the elements of the screening and, upon lowering of the temperature to ambient temperature, solidify to retain the screening in position. The screen frame includes an integral, upstanding peripheral flange 80 having an upper edge 82 that abuts or fits closely adjacent to the shoulder or ledge 48 to firmly locate the screen frame to and within the screen adapter 42. It will be seen that the shoulder or ledge 48 together with the wall portion 46 of the screen adapter cooperate with the upstanding flange 80 of the screen frame to securely position the-screen flush with the lower edge of the adapter wall portion 46 to provide the most aesthetic arrangement.

Integrally formed with the main screen frame member 76 and upstanding therefrom are a pair of screen latch members 84, 86 having outwardly extending protrusions formed with a shoulder 88 and an inclined cam surface 90 that cooperate with the lips 68, 70 on the screen adapter for engaging and securing the screen. Spaced around the periphery of the screen frame member 76 and equally spaced from such periphery and aligned with upstanding members 84, 86 are a plurality of integrally formed upstanding tabs, such as indicated at 92 and 94 in FIG. 2. These tabs are employed to position the screening during the manufacturing process by forming stops against which the edges of the screening are located while the screening is being bonded to the screen frame. It will be seen, as illustrated in FIG. 2, that screening position tabs 92 and 94 have the inner edges thereof aligned with the inner edge of the upstanding screen latch member 84 to cooperate therewith in positioning of the screening. A like function and arrangement are true of the similar elements on the other side of the screening which cooperate with the screen latch member 86.

Projecting outwardly (downwardly as viewed in FIG. 3) of the outer side of screen frame member 76 near one end of the screen frame and, preferably, nearly in alignment with the extent of one of the latch members 84, 86 is a disengagement tab 96 that is employed for effecting disengagement of one of the screen latch members, the member 84 in this illustration, from the lip 68. It will be readily seen that the disengagement tab may be positioned on either side of the screen or one may be provided on each side.

Preferably, each of the screen adapter and screen frame is integrally formed, each in a single piece as by injection molding or other suitable casting process, of a semirigid plastic material such as styrene or polyethylene, having sufficient thickness, in the order of 0.060 to 0.080 inches, to impart the desired structural rigidity but, which nevertheless retains a sufficient resilience to allow for deformation of either the screen frame or the screen latch members, or both, so as to enable and facilitate a convenient engagement and disengagement of the screen frame with and from the screen adapter.

With the adapter 42 securely fixed to the vent frame 14 and the garnish stripping 56 positioned within the slots 54 and screwed or otherwise suitably attached to the vehicle or shelter structure by conventional fasteners (not shown), the screen may be readily and quickly emplaced by first removing the detachable crank handle 28 of the vent cover operating assembly, positioning the screen with the aperture 98 formed in the screening immediately opposite the shaft of the operating assembly 26 and moving the screen as a unit directly into the adapter 42. In this operation, the inclined cam surfaces 90 of the screen latch members 84, 86 will engage the underside of lips 68, 70, camming these latch members inwardly toward each other, by virtue of the resilience of both the latch member and the screen frame members 76, until, upon further motion in the same direction, the shoulders 88 of the latch members extend beyond and are, therefore, able to spring back over the sides of the lips 68, 70 that face the vent dome 20. In order to quickly and easily release and remove the screen for cleaning of the screen or the vent dome, or for repair or replacement, it is only necessary to either press upon the disengagement tab 96 to resiliently distort the screen frame member, thus allowing disengagement of the shoulder 88 of the latch member from the lip 68 or, alternatively or concomitantly, grasp the disengagement tab 96 and impart a counterclockwise (as viewed in FIG. 3) rotary force thereto to cause the latch member 84 to pivot toward the left in FIG. 3 due to the torsion of the resilient screen frame, thus disengaging the shoulder 88 from the surface of the lip 68.

There has been described a considerably improved vent screen assembly incorporating lightweight, easily manufactured yet rugged and aesthetic screen adapter and screen frame that provide for accurate and simplified position of garnish stripping and, at the same time, allow for ready engagement and detachment of the screen in order to provide access to the vent structure itself for cleaning or repair.

Iclaim:

1. In combination with a vent having a vent frame and a vent cover, a vent screen assembly comprising:

a screen adapter having a pair of inwardly extending lips disposed on opposite sides thereof, and means for securing the adapter to the frame, and a screen having a screen frame snugly positioned within the adapter, and having screening secured thereto, said screen frame having a pair of screen latch members upstanding from an inner side thereof, each latch member having an outwardly extending shoulder engaging a corresponding one of said lips and cooperating therewith to retain the screen frame on the adapter,

said screen frame having at least one disengagement tab secured thereto and extending from the outer side of the screen frame substantially at one of said latch members,

said screen frame having a plurality of integrally formed screening positioning tabs upstanding from the inner side thereof, at least some of said positioning tabs being equally spaced from the periphery of the screen frame and aligned with the latch members to cooperate therewith in aligning and positioning screening for attachment to the screen frame, at least one of said screen frame and latch members being formed with sufficient resilience to permit ready engagement and disengagement of said screen frame and adapter, said screen frame, latch members and tab all being integrally formed of resilient material.

2. As a separate article of manufacture the screen frame set forth in claim I including:

a plurality of continuous, peripheral ribs integrally formed on said inner side, and

an expanse of screening extending across the screen frame and bonded to and at least partially within said ribs.

3. In combination with a vent having a vent frame and a vent cover, a vent screen assembly comprising:

a screen adapter having a pair of inwardly extending lips disposed on opposite sides thereof, and means for securing the adapter to the frame, and

a screen having a screen frame snugly positioned within the adapter, and having screening secured thereto,

said screen frame having a pair of screen latch members upstanding from an inner side thereof. each latch member having an outwardly extending shoulder engaging a corresponding one of said lips and cooperating therewith to retain the screen frame on the adapter,

at least one of said screen frame and latch members being formed with sufficient resilience to permit ready engagement and disengagement of said screen frame and adapter,

said vent frame including a structural member extending across the vent frame and having portions thereof positioned closely adjacent inner sides of the vent frame, said means for securing the adapter to the vent frame comprising:

a pair of retaining tabs fixed to and disposed on opposite sides of the adapter and each extending therefrom between the vent frame and a corresponding one of said structural member portions, and means for securing said portio s to said vent frame with said retaining tabs clamped therebetween.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said structural member portions comprise opposite ends of the structural member, said ends each being formed with a pair of fastener receiving apertures,

said means for securing said portions comprising elongated fastening devices extending through the vent frame and secured to and within said apertures,

said retaining tabs each being formed with a pair of slots in the ends thereof that extend between the vent frame and the structural member,

said fastening devices being respectively received in said slots, whereby the adapter may be assembled to the vent frame,

after said structural member is loosely held to the vent frame by the fastening devices, by inserting the retaining tabs between the structural member ends and the vent frame with the retaining tab slots receiving the fastening devices, and subsequently securing the fastening devices to rigidly interconnect the vent frame, adapter, and structural member.

5. In combination with a vent frame and a vent cover, a vent screen assembly comprising:

a screen adapter having a pair of inwardly extending lips disposed on opposite sides thereof, and means for securing the adapter to the frame, and

a screen having a screen frame snugly positioned within the adapter, and having screening secured thereto, said screen frame having a pair of screen latch members upstanding from an inner side thereof, each latch member having an outwardly extending shoulder engaging a corresponding one of said lips and cooperating therewith to retain the screen frame on the adapter,

at least one of said screen frame and latch members being formed with sufficient resilience to permit ready engagement and disengagement of said screen frame and adapter, said adapter including peripheral wall means having slots means on the outer side thereof for receiving and retaining garnish stripping.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said slot means comprises an integrally formed outwardly extending ledge circum scribing the periphery of the adapter intermediate opposite edges of the wall means, and

a plurality of garnish retaining tabs secured to and extending from the outer edge of said ledge substantially parallel to said wall means and away from the vent frame.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the wall means includes afiist peripheral wall portion extending from said ledge toward the vent frame and a second peripheral wall portion extending from said ledge away from the vent frame,

said second portion being outwardly displaced from said first portion to provide an inwardly extending shoulder,

said screen frame having an upstanding peripheral flange adapted to fit snugly within the outwardly displaced second wall portion of the adapter and in abutment with said shoulder,

said second wall portion of the adapter being substantially coextensive with said flange, whereby the screen frame, when in place within the adapter, fits substantially flush with the edge of said second wall portion of the adapter.

8. in a vent apparatus a vent frame, and a vent screen as sembly, said assembly comprising:

a screen adapter and means for securing the adapter to the frame,

a screen having screen frame snugly positioned within the adapter and having screening secured thereto,

said adapter including peripheral wall means having slot means on the outer side thereof for receiving and retaining garnish stripping, said slot means comprising an integrally formed outwardly extending ledge circumscribing the periphery of the adapter intermediate opposite edges of the wall means and a plurality of garnish retaining tabs secured to and extending from the outer edge of said ledge substantially parallel to said wall means and away from the vent frame.

9. In a vent screen assembly:

a vent frame including a structural member extending across the frame and having portions thereof positioned closely adjacent to inner sides of the frame,

a screen adapter, and

means for securing the adapter to the vent frame compris ing:

a pair of retaining tabs fixed to and disposed on opposite sides of the adapter and each extending therefrom between the vent frame and a corresponding one of said structural member positions, and

means for securing said portions to said vent frame with said retaining tabs clamped there between.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said structural member portions comprise opposite ends of the structural member,

said ends each being formed with a pair of fastener receiving apertures,

said means for securing said portions comprising elongated fastening devices extending through the vent frame and secured to and within said apertures,

said retaining tabs each being formed with a pair of slots in the ends thereof that extend between the vent frame and the structural member, and

said fastening devices being respectively received in said slots,

whereby the adapter may be assembled to the vent frame after said structural member is loosely held to the vent frame by the fastening devices, by inserting the retaining tabs between the structural member ends and the vent frame with the retaining tab slots receiving the fastening devices, and subsequently securing the fastening devices to rigidly interconnect the vent frame, adapter, and structural member.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the adapter includes peripheral wall means having slot means on the outer sides thereof for receiving and retaining garnish stripping.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the adapter has a pair of inwardly extending lips disposed on opposite sides thereof, and further including:

a screen having a screen frame snugly position within the adapter and having screen secured to,

said screen frame having a pair of screen latch members upstanding from an inner side thereof, each latch member having an outwardly extending shoulder engaging a corresponding one of said lips and cooperating therewith to obtain the screen frame on the adapter,

at least one of said screen frame and latch members being formed with sufficient resilience to permit ready engagement and disengagement of said screen frame and adapter. 

